Tài liệu Academic Writing A Handbook for International Students part 22 doc

200
Writing Models
example, had an advanced educational system,
but many graduates were under-employed due
to the restrictions of the political system. Similar
situations exist in many countries today because of
political restraints on the economy which prevent
fast enough expansion to create sufficient jobs.
Clearly, development requires efficient and honest
government to encourage a dynamic economy.
5. A strong work ethic, as found in the USA or Japan,
also aids growth. In such societies children are
brought up to believe that both the individual and
society will benefit from hard work. Natural resources
such as oil are another consideration. Brunei, for
instance, previously a poor country reliant on fishing,
today has one of the highest per capita GDPs in
the world. A clear and effective legal system also
encourages development.
6. It is difficult to think of a situation where education
has been the principal agent in fostering growth.
For example, in the world’s first industrial revolution,
which occurred in eighteenth-century Britain, the
majority of people were still illiterate (some pioneer
industrialists themselves could not read or write).
It seems that the availability of capital through the
banking system, and a secure political and legal
environment were more crucial in this case.
7. However, despite these considerations, education
clearly has an important part to play in developing the
skills and abilities of the people. Ultimately, they are

the most important resource a country possesses,
and their education is a priority for all successful
states.
(Approximately 600 words)
2. Underline all the conjunctions in the essay and list them in
the table below.
Addition Result Reason Time Example Opposition
cross-reference
3.7 Conjunctions
Writing Tests
These tests can be used to assess different aspects of writing
performance. The accuracy tests (1 and 3) check the use of
particular word classes such as conjunctions or prepositions.
Students having difficulties with, for example, articles, should look at
the relevant unit in Part 3. The second test assesses cohesion and
test 4 is a comparison. They can be used in the classroom or for self-
assessment.
WRITING TEST 1
(Accuracy)
Read the text for gist and then complete it by writing one word
in each gap.
Most overseas students who come to study
a) .......... English-speaking countries find that
their first b) .......... is listening. Understanding c)
.......... many forms of spoken English is more d)
.......... than they expected.
e) .........., after a month f) . ......... two, the
majority find that their listening g) . ........., and their
next concern is speaking. This skill is more difficult to
practise, so improvement h) . . . . . . . . . . to be slower. But

i) .......... three or four months most students find that
j) .......... can function quite k) .......... in terms of
shopping and travelling.
A l) .......... area of difficulty is writing, which is
possibly the m) .......... difficult skill to master,
n) .......... it is more impersonal than oral/aural
skills and depends o) .......... the student learning
a complex series of conventions. This explains p)
.......... many students find it q) .......... to attend
r) . . . . . . . . . . intensive course in academic English s)
.......... they begin t) . . . . . . . . . . university studies.
WRITING TEST 2
(Cohesion)
The parts of sentences below make two paragraphs which
compare speaking with writing. Some parts are already
numbered. Fill in the remaining numbers. Use internal clues and
punctuation to help you find the correct order.
SPEAKING AND WRITING
1) When we speak, it is normally to one or
. . .) to study our listeners’ faces for expressions which tell
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Writing Tests
. . .) for example agreement, or amusement.
. . .) they often find the situation stressful.
3) As we speak, we are able
. . .) For most people, speaking feels like a natural activity,
. . .) a small number of people, who are often well known
to us.
. . .) If their expressions show incomprehension
. . .) us their reaction to what we are saying;

. . .) though if they have to make a formal speech
. . .) we will probably restate what we are saying.
. . .) Writers cannot check if the readers understand, or are
interested
. . .) to avoid the dangers of being misunderstood by
readers
. . .) who cannot look puzzled to
1) Writing, however, is much more like speaking to
. . .) Unless we are writing a letter to a friend
. . .) This is the reason why writing is more difficult than
. . .) make the writer explain what he means again.
. . .) in what they are writing.
. . .) we have no way of knowing who may read our words.
. . .) It also explains why writing must be as clear and
simple as possible,
. . .) speaking, and often uses a more formal style.
. . .) an unknown audience.
WRITING TEST 3
(Accuracy)
Read the text for gist and then complete it by writing one word
in each gap.
All students need a) ............... to live, so finding
a suitable place is likely to be a priority when they arrive
to start a new course. Apart b) ............... the
minority c) ............... live with their parents, there
Writing Tests
203
are only two d) .............. of accommodation which
are generally affordable.
e) ............... all universities provide f) . .....

......... of residence, which can help new students
g) ............... friends and develop a social life.
They can be a h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . choice, usually being
close to other university facilities, i) ...............
some may find that they are noisy, expensive and have j)
............... small rooms.
The alternative is to rent k) ............... house or
flat from a private landlord with a group of other students.
l) ............... kind of shared accommodation m) .
.............. offer greater independence and privacy,
and can n) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . be more economical.
However, it does mean taking o) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . more
responsibility, p) ............... bills need paying and
the rooms have to q) ............... cleaned.
Wherever students choose to live, several things are
r) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A quiet place to work, a sense of
security and s) ............... environment that allows
t) ............... to sleep properly all contribute to
academic success.
WRITING TEST 4
(Comparison)
Study the information in the table comparing two cities, which
both have good universities. Use it to write a report on which
would be the most suitable location for an overseas student
planning a one-year course. (About 200 words.)
Borchester Rowborough
Population 220,000 1,560,000
Summer climate Warm and wet Cool and quite dry
Winter climate Cool and windy Cold and wet
City type Old cathedral city

with modern service
industries
19th century industrial
city with modern mixed
industries
Terrain Flat, lots of parks Hilly with several lakes
Cost of accommodation Quite high Medium
Public transport Bus service not very
good
Buses and trams, both
good
Main advantages Relaxed atmosphere Good range of shops and
sports facilities
Main drawbacks University campus is 6
kms from city centre
High rates of crime in
some areas
Distance from capital 230 kms 125 kms
Answers
Providing answers for a writing course is less clear cut than for
other language areas. In some exercises there is only one possible
answer, but in other cases several possibilities exist. Teachers need
to use common sense, and accept any reasonable answer. In the case
of exercises where students can choose their own topic and it is
therefore impossible to provide an answer, students still appreciate
having a model answer, and so some have been included.
Part 1 – The Writing Process
1.1 Background to Writing
1
notes

to record reading or lectures
report
to describe something a student has conducted, e.g. an
experiment/a survey
1,000–2,000
project
research conducted either individually or in group on subject
chosen by student(s)
1,000–3,000
essay
piece of writing used to assess coursework/subject chosen by
teacher
1,000–5,000
thesis/dissertation
long piece of writing on subject chosen by student for final
assessment in Master’s/PhD course
30,000–70,000
article/paper
writing published in academic journal 5,000–10,000
2bi abstract
2bii acknowledgements
2biii appendix
2biv bibliography
2bv case study
2bvi preface
2bvii index
4a title
4b sub-heading
4c phrase
4d sentence

4e paragraph
5 Texts are divided into paragraphs to separate the main points and make them easier to
read. Paragraphs usually vary in length from three to eight sentences.
para 2 begins: The first issue to . . .
para 3 begins: Diversification must also . . .
para 4 begins: A further consideration . . .